Chapter 15

At that moment, everyone in the tent stared at Xuan Zhe, their eyes as wide as brass bells, their mouths hanging open.

What kind of move was this?

Xuan Zhe stepped forward and voiced his support for Sarutobi Shinnosuke continuing the war. The decision stunned everyone in the meeting.

You were the first to run from the battlefield just now, and now you were the one clamoring to keep fighting.

So you got to have it both ways?

"L-Lord Xuan Zhe, this... this doesn't seem right, does it? The current situation hardly looks like one where we can keep fighting head-on..."

Shikaku Nara exchanged glances with his two Ino-Shika-Cho partners before finally bracing himself and speaking up.

War was no joke.

Nobody wanted to send their clan's young people to their deaths.

"Lord Hokage's family and daughter-in-law died. Shouldn't we seek justice for them? What do you say, Young Master Shinnosuke?"

Smiling, Xuan Zhe turned to look at Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

His mind completely consumed by rage, Sarutobi Shinnosuke had no room to wonder why Xuan Zhe, who had always been at odds with him, had suddenly taken his side.

With that provocation, he exploded on the spot:

"Exactly! Rie was the fiancée my father chose for me. We grew up together! If we don't ** for her, this war won't end!"

At those words, the faces of all the ninja clan heads present darkened.

Their dissatisfaction with Sarutobi Shinnosuke, and the powerful backer behind him, deepened.

Your Sarutobi Clan lost people, so why should you drag ours to their deaths too?

Since when did Konoha become a place where your Sarutobi family had the final say?

But ultimately, the Third Hokage was still in his prime.

With him holding things down, nobody dared openly turn against them.

"Heh, he doesn't even realize he's being led around by the nose."

Orochimaru had remained silent in the corner, his serpentine eyes fixed coldly on Sarutobi Shinnosuke as though looking at an idiot.

Xuan Zhe couldn't help feeling amused too.

What an idiot. No wonder he couldn't survive three episodes in the original.

"Here's what I'm planning next."

Xuan Zhe walked to the map and traced a finger from their camp along the path leading to the Land of Rain, speaking unhurriedly:

"You all remember the plan to assassinate the Second Kazekage, don't you?"

In an instant, all eyes fell on Hatake Sakumo and Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

A mission that should have been achievable had fallen apart completely because one had dragged the team down and the other had abandoned the operation.

If they had succeeded back then, would this war still be going on?

Standing in his place as strategist, Shikaku Nara vaguely guessed Xuan Zhe's intention and asked tentatively:

"Lord Xuan Zhe, surely you don't mean to..."

"Reactivate that mission."

Xuan Zhe's index finger slid from the camp through the Land of Rain, then continued all the way to Sunagakure.

"We'll take the long way around, follow the route through the Land of Rain, then infiltrate the Land of Wind and kill the Second Kazekage, Shamon."

Hizashi Hyuga froze for a few seconds before asking haltingly:

"B-but didn't this mission already fail once? The Second Kazekage must have laid traps everywhere. This time will probably be even harder than the last..."

"What's there to fear? This time, I'll be going with Young Master Shinnosuke."

Xuan Zhe patted his chest, his voice brimming with confidence:

"I'm much stronger than my useless older brother."

Hearing that, Hatake Sakumo could only shake his head with a wry smile.

Couldn't he show me a little respect?

Stronger than Konoha's White Fang?

Everyone present had to reassess Xuan Zhe yet again.

His performance on the battlefield today had undeniably been at Kage level.

But claiming he was actually stronger than White Fang was going a little far, wasn't it?

Yet White Fang himself hadn't disputed it. Could it... really be true?

"D-do I have to go too?"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke spoke hesitantly.

"Of course. You carried out the mission last time, so you know the terrain best. This time, I'll replace that useless brother of mine. I can't imagine how we could lose."

Xuan Zhe spoke with a smile.

"Then... he could go too, couldn't he? Why do you have to drag me along..."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke pointed at Hatake Sakumo, feeling that something was off.

"Everyone else will keep attacking Sunagakure on the front lines to draw their attention. With my useless older brother here, he can keep that old woman Chiyo's hatred firmly focused on him and buy us time."

"Once the mission is complete, we'll attack them from both sides, front and rear, and end the war ahead of schedule."

Xuan Zhe's explanation left no openings.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke searched for every possible excuse but still found no way to refuse.

"All right, if nobody objects, it's settled. Go get some rest, everyone. I'll leave tomorrow."

Xuan Zhe waved a hand, dismissing the meeting.

Although Orochimaru was the actual commander-in-chief at the front, everyone unconsciously followed Xuan Zhe's instructions and quietly left the tent.

Strength really was what carried the most weight in this world.

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had still been Genin even at the end.

Who would dare look down on them?

The sun sank in the west, and the sky gradually darkened.

A figure slipped into Tsunade's tent.

Actually, "slipped" wasn't quite accurate.

Everyone nearby saw him perfectly clearly.

Xuan Zhe had walked in with his chest out, bold as brass.

Some looked at Dan Katō with a little more sympathy.

After so many years in the military camp, who didn't know how Dan Katō felt about Tsunade?

He had practically licked the ground beneath her feet flat.

In the end, it had all come to nothing.

Xuan Zhe's hand roamed over that slender waist as he muttered:

"You seem a little thinner..."

It felt a little rough, not rounded enough.

Work on her!

Smack-

Before he could get in more than a few strokes, a crisp slap rang out.

Tsunade slapped the restless paw at her waist.

It had been outrageous enough that this ** had slipped into her bed last night, but today he had simply barged right in.

It wasn't as though she didn't know what he was after.

Xuan Zhe put on a pained expression. Although Tsunade knew perfectly well that he was faking it, she still paused for two seconds.

In the end, she took that paw and treated it with the Mystical Palm Technique.

Oh, it hurt so badly-

If she really left it alone, the wound would probably heal on its own in a few more seconds.

"Are you really planning to do it?"

Tsunade suddenly spoke.

"Now? In the military camp... isn't that a little inappropriate?"

Xuan Zhe looked troubled, but his other hand was rather honest as it reached for his belt buckle.

"Oh, screw you!"

Tsunade kicked him away. "At a time like this, you're still spouting nonsense!?"

Reaching up to brush the stray hair from her forehead, Tsunade said irritably:

"I'm serious. Once you finish this, you and old man Sarutobi will have broken with each other completely."

"Huh? I don't understand what you mean."

Xuan Zhe looked bewildered.

"I can't be bothered with you. Make whatever trouble you like!"

Perhaps afraid Xuan Zhe would twist her words again, Tsunade deliberately avoided saying "do it" this time.

She raised a hand and pointed toward the tent, looking every bit as though she were saying, "Get the hell out already."

She would sooner die than do that sort of thing with him in this military camp.

Ah, nothing in life ever went right.

He couldn't even have a little fun before leaving.

"Are you really going through with it?"

Xuan Zhe had just emerged from the tent looking dejected when Orochimaru's voice suddenly reached his ears.

"You haven't been here ** the whole time, have you?"

Xuan Zhe turned to look at him.

Well, actually, Orochimaru had only approached after seeing him come out.

He didn't have a fetish for deliberately letting other people listen.

Whenever he spent time with Tsunade, he always checked the surroundings beforehand with observation Haki.

"I don't mean anything by it, Orochimaru."

Xuan Zhe fobbed Orochimaru off with the same line he had just used on Tsunade.

"Heh-life is fragile by its very nature."

After leaving him with that rather philosophical remark, Orochimaru the philosopher said nothing more and turned to leave.